How to Retrieve Values from an Enum Object in Python?

Why am I unable to retrieve values using .values() from an Enum object in Python?

In Python, the Enum class is a way to create enumerations, which are set of symbolic names (members) bound to unique, constant values. Unlike typical dictionaries or lists, Enum members do not support the .values() method directly as they are not composed of traditional key-value pairs. Here's how to correctly access the values of an Enum.

from enum import Enum

class Color(Enum):
    RED = 1
    GREEN = 2
    BLUE = 3

# Accessing Enum values directly:
for color in Color:
    print(color.name, color.value)

# Getting a list of values:
values = [color.value for color in Color]
print(values)  # Output: [1, 2, 3]

Causes

• Attempting to use .values() on an Enum will result in an AttributeError because Enum does not have this method.
• Confusing Enum members with dictionary-like objects, which do have a .values() method.

Solutions

• Access Enum members directly using their names or iterate over the Enum to retrieve values.
• Use the `list()` function to convert Enum members to a list of their values.

Mistake: Using Enum class in a way that assumes it's a dictionary.

Solution: Understand that Enum members are accessed using their name or iterated.

Mistake: Forgetting to import the Enum class from the enum module.

Solution: Always ensure to import Enum with: from enum import Enum.